Vedros
patreon
Summer of Change: Chapter 1
🕑 Added 2025-01-17 17:00:19 +0000 UTCNote: All characters involved in this story are above the age of consent.
To say that Harry Potter was frustrated was an understatement.
It had been over a month since he had come back to the Dursleys for the summer, one month since Voldemort returned, and here he was, a virtual prisoner in his relatives’ home, forbidden from leaving. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was desperate to know what was happening in his true world.
He would give anything to hear whatever bits and pieces of news he could, but he was getting nothing. There was complete silence from the Wizarding World. He knew he could not get a copy of the Prophet delivered to him, and the few letters he had received from Ron and Hermione had been annoyingly vague as well. It was nothing too serious, but he was not a child who could not read between the lines. It was clear to him that they were purposefully straying away from the relevant topics and keeping their letters direct and casual.
Harry did not know what the reason was, but he did not like it one bit.
He was not a stranger or a random nobody. He was Harry fucking Potter, the top name on Voldemort’s hit list. If anyone deserved to know the most about the events that were unfolding, it was him. However, he was being purposefully kept in the dark, and it made him feel like crap.
His mind automatically replayed the events of the third task. Being chosen as Hogwarts’ champion had been an honor, and when he had truly laid his eyes on the gleaming Triwizard Cup, he had felt like he had finally earned something in his life. That he would no longer be Harry Potter—the boy who had gotten famous because his parents had heroically sacrificed themselves for him. That he would finally be Harry Potter—the undisputed Triwizard Champion.
All of it went to smoke when he grabbed the cup and was thrown harshly on the ground, his breath knocked out of him. He recalled how helpless he had been as he was forced to participate in and witness the rebirth of his mortal enemy. He remembered with vivid detail how Voldemort’s gleaming crimson eyes had been glowing malevolently as he cast the Cruciatus Curse on him, and how his pathetic band of assholes stood on the sidelines, laughing at his torture.
It was infuriating to even think about it.
Harry lifted his sleeve and gazed at the long scar on his arm. That was the spot where Pettigrew had cut him to forcibly take his blood, and Harry did not think that scar would ever vanish. It would remain on his skin as the painful reminder of his failure, his weakness.
Harry gritted his teeth as he paced in the Dursleys’ backyard. The family had gone to a get together arranged by one of Vernon’s colleagues, and he had been told in no uncertain terms that he was not to step foot outside the property. Ha! As if he could go anywhere. The farthest he was allowed to go was the park, and that barely took five minutes on foot.
His wand was in his hand and he twirled it around, muttering spells under his breath as he paced. He could not cast any spells but he could certainly keep practicing the wand movements, refining his skills. It was not ideal, but it was better than nothing. At least it alleviated the boredom.
As he flicked his wand once again, imagining it was Voldemort’s ugly face he was cursing at, a soft, amused voice interrupted him.
“You’ll wear a hole in that lawn if you keep that up. What would your nasty aunt say if she found what you did to her precious decorations?”
Harry turned sharply, his wand hidden and out of sight but ready to be of use at a moment’s notice. His brows furrowed when he saw who had interrupted him.
She was a young woman, easily in her early to mid-twenties, and she had the oddest pink hair he had ever seen. The hair was tied behind her in a braid, and thin strands had broken out, framing her admittedly pretty, heart-shaped face. She was looking at him with a lopsided grin, twirling her wand idly in her hand.
Harry’s face hardened as he brought his wand to bear, grasping it firmly.
“Who are you?” He asked, keeping his voice steady. She was clearly a witch, and even though he felt no malicious intent from her, he was not about to relax considering the environment out there.
She pushed off the fence that she was leaning against and strode towards him, her hands raised in a gesture of peace.
“Whoa, easy there, soldier. Name’s Tonks.”
“Never heard of you,” Harry replied as he watched her. She took a seat in the chair and crossed her legs.
Try as he might, Harry could not help but take a good, long look at her legs. She was wearing jeans shorts and a boot which left her long legs bare. A thin sheen of sweat had developed on her skin due to the heatwave that had descended upon Little Whinging this year, making it glisten under the setting sun. Coughing, Harry averted his eyes.
“A leg guy, are you? You can look. I don’t mind. No touching though, at least not yet,” she winked, giggling when she saw the look on his face.
“Why are you here? I don’t know you.”
“I guess you wouldn’t remember seeing me at Hogwarts,” she muttered. “But I know you. Been looking at you going spare in that cramped up bedroom of yours all summer long. I bet you’re itching to go out there but you can’t, and not just because of all this heat. Merlin, I’ve got a cooling charm on my clothes and that’s the only way I can bear it.”
“Why are you sweating then?” Harry asked before he could stop himself, and he cursed himself inwardly as her grin widened.
“Oh? Noticed, did you? Quite a sharp pair of eyes you’ve got there,” she teased. “I took the charm down a few minutes ago. Thought you’d like it.”
Harry flushed slightly as she winked, making her giggle once again. Feeling pity on him, she finally relented.
“I’m sure you have questions,” she remarked, gesturing to the other chair. With pursed lips, Harry walked over and took a seat.
He had been feeling that someone was watching him. Too many times, he had felt eyes on him, both in the house and whenever he went outside to get away from the Dursleys, but whenever he looked, there was no one to be seen.
“Why have you been watching me? And for how long?”
“Dumbledore’s orders,” she replied, idly twirling a strand of pink hair around her finger. The motion was as distracting as it was attractive and Harry could not help but stare a bit. “As for how long? Well, about a week for me.”
Harry was not surprised to hear Dumbledore was involved. Only someone who had his permission could approach him here, and the old wizard was the only individual who would have him under surveillance.
“For you?” Harry’s brows furrowed. “You mean there are others?”
“There were,” Tonks replied. “Dung, for one. Slimy bastard. Mostly slept on the job. Dumbledore took him off when he got to know about it. I’ve been doing it since then. I’m sure it’s your pleasure to have someone like me watching you instead of that deadbeat, eh?”
Harry watched as she rested her elbows on the table between them and leaned forward, and given how she was wearing a loose top, the neckline fell forward to reveal most of her upper chest and an ample amount of cleavage. Her arms were pushing her tits close, making them even more pronounced, and Harry felt all his blood rushing southwards as his eyes fell on them. His eyes lingered on her bra-clad mounds that he could see the faint outline of, and he simply took her in.
He might not be experienced, but he was not new to this sight either. He had allowed his eyes to feast on Fleur’s assets both during the Yule Ball and the second task. Her silver one-piece swimsuit had not hidden much, and it had been impossible to keep his gaze away, particularly when he was standing right beside her or when she had embraced him after he’d saved her sister.
Still, Tonks had assets to be immensely proud of, and just like Fleur, it was impossible for him to not take in the alluring vision that she was currently presenting to him.
Tonks watched his gaze and smirked. It was too much fun teasing the poor guy like this. She had seen how frustrated he had been lately, and in her opinion, he deserved a little bit of fun.
“Uhh… right… yeah, I guess,” he managed to get out, gulping audibly as he averted his gaze.
Did the heatwave get even worse? He thought, pulling at the round neck of his t-shirt to let some air in.
“Oh, that’s great to hear,” Tonks clapped her hands as she grinned.
Harry took a few deep breaths to compose himself and get his mind back to the matter at hand. He forced himself to look at her with as serious a face as he could muster.
“You said Dumbledore asked you guys to keep an eye on me?”
“Yep. He thought it was important, given… you know, the big bad dark lord returning from the grave…”
“You don’t need to tell me. I was there,” he said tightly. “I don’t see the need for all this drama. I’m of age, not someone who needs babysitting. And after everything I’ve seen and been through, I deserve to know what’s going on out there. Dumbledore keeping me like a prisoner in this caring cage of his, keeping me in the dark while I could be out there preparing and getting better… he’s doing more harm than good, if you ask me.”
Harry’s small rant vanished Tonks’ amusement right off her face. She leaned back, regarding him.
“I understand your frustration. Believe me, I do. I would’ve been the same if I was in your place,” she replied, making him look at her. “But I’m sure Dumbledore has his reasons for doing what he is doing. You can’t deny that you are a big target, and you need to be protected.”
“I don’t want to be dependent on other people,” Harry grunted. “And I don’t want others to be in danger because of me.”
“Well, that’s not something you can control, is it? The bit about the others, I mean,” Tonks clarified. “As for being not dependent on others… well, that’s part of why I’m here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sirius talked to me this morning,” Tonks began, only to be cut off when Harry abruptly leaned forward, almost invading her personal space. She jerked back, her eyes wide.
“You met Sirius? How’s he? He’s back in England? You know he’s innocent? How do you know him? I—”
“Whoa, easy there,” Tonks laughed shakily, pushing him back. “You’ll get a whiplash if you behave like that.”
“Sorry,” Harry muttered with a sigh. “I got carried away there…”
“You did,” she nodded. “No need to say sorry though. I understand. Now, in order: Yes. Good. Yes. Yes. He’s my mum’s cousin. There, happy?”
“You’re related?” Harry asked in surprise as he stared at her.
“Yeah,” Tonks replied. “Mum almost went bonkers when I told her about meeting him. She always believed Sirius was innocent, you know? But she couldn’t do anything. No evidence, no power in the government, you know, the usual politics and corruption.”
“Tell me about it,” Harry muttered.
Tonks gave him a small smile and continued, “Now, Sirius asked me to tell him how you’re doing, and well, I told him how you were brooding all day long. It was him who gave me the idea to tease you like that, you know? Can you believe it? He asked his cousin to tease his godson like that to cheer him up. That lecher. I almost cursed his brains out.”
Despite himself, Harry chuckled. That definitely sounded like Sirius, alright.
“He’s so desperate to send you letters, tell you everything, but he knows it’s useless. Dumbledore’s forbidden anyone to tell you anything about what’s going on as long as you’re here.”
“I don’t think Sirius is the kind of guy to listen to what Dumbledore has to say,” Harry replied dryly.
“He’s not,” Tonks nodded. “But given Dumbledore cast a ward around this neighborhood, there’s not much he can do about it.”
“A ward?”
“To hide certain information from you,” Tonks replied. “It’s complicated. Don’t ask me to explain how he did it, but he’s made sure you can’t know what’s going on out there. You can’t read it, and you can’t hear it either. Hell, I want to tell you and even I can’t. Watch.”
Tonks continued to speak but no sound came out of her mouth. Even her lips didn’t move normally. Harry watched on with pursed lips as she stopped, shrugging.
“We can’t speak of it, no one can,” she replied.
“What about the letters I’ve been getting from my friends? The Prophet?”
“Well, from what I know, Dumbledore told your friends to not tell you anything because… reasons. Ron was against it, but the other one… what’s her name? The stuck-up, bossy idiot who thinks she’s the biggest brain around?”
“Hermione?” Harry asked in a deadpan voice.
“Yeah, her. She convinced him that it was for the best if Dumbledore was personally asking them.”
“I see,” Harry muttered.
“The Prophet though… it’s a rag. What do you expect?” She shrugged.
Harry frowned as he belatedly noticed something.
“You said Dumbledore told them not to tell me anything, and that Hermione convinced Ron. You even know him. Does that mean you’re all living together or something?”
Tonks’ eyes widened and she opened her mouth to respond, but just like before, no sound came out. She even tried to nod, but she found she couldn’t. However, she didn’t need to, as her reaction was all the confirmation Harry needed. His eyes hardened and he stood up, sending the chair tumbling behind him.
“I see. So that’s how it is,” he growled. “I don’t know what game they’re playing, but I don’t like it one bit.”
“Perfectly understandable,” Tonks nodded. “Sirius was the same. That’s why he sent me today with this.”
Harry watched as she pushed her hand under her top and began fumbling, and his eyes widened. Try as he might, he could not help but stare at how her tits strained against her top or how they moved as she rummaged beneath her shirt.
“Gotcha again,” she grinned and with a wink, she pulled her hand out. Harry blinked as she reached down and pulled out a rolled piece of parchment from the pocket of her shorts. “It’s here.”
“You’re such a tease,” he muttered under his breath.
“Don’t act as if you’re not loving this treat,” she winked. “Now cheer up. I’m doing this to lift that mood of yours. Merlin knows Sirius will chew me out if he got to know I didn’t cheer you up properly.”
“You don’t need to do that just because he told you to,” Harry replied. “He’s an idiot. No need to do all this.”
“Well, I’m having fun too, so I guess it’s not only because he told me to,” she chuckled, making him stare at her.
With a sigh, Harry rolled his eyes but he could not help himself from grinning back. This was the most eventful day he’d had in over a month and although she was weird, her demeanor was infectious. Furthermore, he was not an idiot to turn a beautiful woman away when she was willingly being like that.
“Go on, read it,” she urged, pushing the parchment over towards him, and Harry reached out, picking it up.
His brows furrowed as he started reading. When he was done, he handed it back to Tonks who put it away.
“As you read, we’re both stuck here for only Dumbledore knows how long, so it makes sense to do something to make it all a bit less boring.”
Harry was quick to agree. He had been isolated all summer long and he could definitely use some company. Still, as he thought about Dumbledore, his lips pursed.
“What about Dumbledore? I don’t think he’d like it,” Harry muttered, his arms crossed.
“I don’t think he’ll even find out, and if he does, it’s not as if he’ll curse us or something. A little lecture is better than getting bored out of our minds, right?”
“I guess,” Harry agreed.
“To be honest, we’re supposed to watch you in secret, so he wouldn’t even like me coming here and letting you know you’re being watched. But eh, what’s done is done,” she shrugged, making him chuckle.
“You’ll have to sneak in though. The Dursleys are not here today, so we’re able to meet so freely. They won’t allow me to bring someone over, and a girl at that.”
“That’s how it is? Now I want to see how they’ll react when they see me come over,” she grinned teasingly. “Maybe we can tell them I’m your girlfriend and I’ve come for some fun time with my boyfriend. We can even make some sex noises to make it more dramatic.”
The thought came unbidden to his mind. He could not help but imagine himself in such a situation with Tonks and that brought some very… enticing images to his mind. He violently pushed that thought out of his mind before it started physically affecting him.
“If it gives them an aneurysm then I’m game,” he replied instead, chuckling, and Tonks joined in.
“You’ve no idea how boring it’s been out there, doing nothing but sitting on my ass,” she began after a few moments. “There’s nothing to do. The folks around here are some of the most boring people I’ve ever seen in my life. This whole neighborhood feels like something out of a TV show where everyone’s in a competition to win the title of the most depressing family ever.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Harry snorted.
“Right? And I’ve got to keep watching them all day long. Imagine how bad it’s been for me.”
“Yeah, I can imagine that,” he replied with an eyeroll. Tonks looked at him and grinned.
“But not anymore. I’ve got you to play with,” she remarked, and Harry coughed. Her grin widened.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered, averting his eyes when she leaned forward once again.
“Oh, come on. You’ve been so bored. Don’t tell me you don’t appreciate a little… treat from yours truly,” she grinned.
“This feels like a buffet more than a treat,” Harry deadpanned, eyeing her pronounced cleavage once again.
“Must be mouthwatering for an isolated young man like you then,” She teased.
“Alright, that’s enough of your teasing now,” Harry said, and Tonks leaned back, gazing at him in amusement. “If you’re really going to keep me company and as Sirius said, give me lessons on whatever you’ve learned from Moody, then we need to keep it fair.”
“You can always return the favor. I won’t mind,” she replied, eyeing him appreciatively.
“I’m not talking about that,” he said pointedly. “You seem to know a lot about me, but today’s the first time I’ve met you. The dynamic here is not fair.”
“Oh? You want to know about me? You should’ve said it earlier,” Tonks grinned. She held her hand out for him to shake. “As I said, name’s Tonks. Just… Tonks. Nothing else. I graduated from Hogwarts three years ago, so that would make me six years older than you, but you don’t need to treat me like that.”
Harry nodded absently. So, she was twenty-four.
“I began my two-year training as an auror under Moody right after graduation and I got my license last year,” she continued, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully. “Hmm… what else is there? Oh right, I can do this!”
Harry jerked back in surprise when her face suddenly began to transform. Her eyes dilated, her pupil becoming vertical, and small tufts of fur grew over her face as her nose and mouth transformed as well.
“Oh wow…” Harry whispered, staring at a woman with the face of a cat.
“I can do much more,” she spoke with the same face but the voice was hers, and her face began to transform once again, reverting to her normal look but her hair turned a dark shade of black that flowed behind her in waves. “This is my original look. Like it?”
Harry nodded slowly as her hair slowly reverted to pink and bound itself in a braid. He had to admit that she was a very beautiful witch.
“You must be thinking how I can do this,” she continued. “I’m a metamorphmagus.”
Harry’s brows furrowed.
Tonks gave him a small rundown of what metamorphmagi were and how rare the skill was. She even turned her face to look like his, shocking him further.
“So yeah, glamor charms and Polyjuice are joke to someone like me. It’s challenging to get used to different types of bodies and it affects my balance when I’m me as well, but the benefits are worth it.”
Harry nodded. He could perfectly understand how it all would be worth it if one had such a remarkable skill.
“Well, now we both know quite a bit about each other, but I’m sure we’ll learn more during the upcoming days or weeks; I don’t know how long it will be until you can leave.”
“Dumbledore once told me I wouldn’t have to return here once I reached the age of maturity, but I’m still rotting here, so who knows?” Harry shrugged.
Tonks smiled and reached out to pat his hand consolingly. Harry stared at their hands for a moment before sighing.
The sun had almost set, and slowly, Tonks pulled back and stood up.
“Are you going to keep watch during the night as well?” He asked, looking up at her.
“Until ten,” she replied. “Why?”
Harry nodded and stood up, walking over to the door. Turning around, he found her looking at him inquisitively.
“Come on then. My relatives won’t be home until at least midnight. We can get started on what we’re going to do in the coming weeks right away,” he called out.
Grinning, Tonks followed him into the house.
Her eyes took in the décor and Tonks did not hesitate from telling him how tacky it all looked. Harry let out a small laugh as they walked out of the living room.
“Well, my aunt loves it, so no wonder,” he replied, leading her towards the staircase. He pointedly kept his eyes away from the cupboard under the stairs, not wanting to bring it up, and he was grateful that Tonks did not know about his childhood. She was following right behind him while she kept looking around.
“Your relatives look more like animals than humans, if I’m being honest,” she remarked casually, and Harry could not help but snort.
“You’re not the first to think so,” he replied, chuckling. “Come on, my room’s upstairs.”
“Eager to get me in your bedroom already? My, I didn’t know you were so bold, Mr. Potter,” she said shyly as she followed him up the stairs, although her eyes gleamed teasingly.
“I’ve learned enough about you so far to know that this demure behavior doesn’t suit you at all,” he remarked without looking behind. Tonks chuckled as she slapped him good-naturedly on his upper arm.
Harry pushed his bedroom door open, allowing her to enter first. He closed the door behind himself and looked around.
“Yeah, not the neatest room you might’ve seen, but I manage.”
“You could clean up a bit,” she muttered, crouching to pick a cushion up which she threw on the bed.
“When you’re bored out of your mind and trapped in a place you hate like I am, cleaning up your room is the last thing you want to do,” Harry replied. “If I had my way, I’d paint graffiti all over this house.”
“I’m sure your aunt would be thrilled to see that,” Tonks snorted.
“I guess she’d be more concerned with how it’d all look in front of the neighbors.”
Tonks shook her head with a smile as she took a seat in the chair. Harry sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward.
“What are you going to teach me then? Sirius just said ‘stuff’ and that was it.”
“What more would you expect from that lazy idiot?” Tonks muttered. “Look, we can’t cast any spells in here, so teaching you actual magic is out of question.”
“I know. I didn’t expect you to.”
“Yeah. But I can teach you everything short of actual spellcasting. Think magical theory, spells, wand movements, battle tactics, maybe even get you started with the basics of silent casting,” Tonks counted out.
“I already know silent casting,” Harry replied.
“What?”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing it for about a year now. I started on it during the tournament.”
“Ah yeah, the Triwizard tournament. I forgot about that,” Tonks muttered. “Well, good for you. We can cover the rest easily. I should warn you though. It won’t be like Hogwarts lessons. Moody was a right bastard with me, just like all his students.”
“So, you’re going to be a right bitch with me. Got it.”
His little comment earned him a slap on his thigh, and Harry yelped.
“Merlin, you hit hard!”
“Should remind you to control your tongue in front of your teacher then,” Tonks smirked.
Feeling bold after all the teasing he’d had to endure at her hands in the past hour, Harry leaned forward and smirked back. “You sure you want me to control my tongue, teacher?”
Harry did not know where the sudden boldness had come from, but seeing how Tonks’ eyes widened, he felt even more confident. However, he did not want to push his luck and instead of escalating, he leaned back and simply gazed at her.
“Oh, so you can make that kind of face. Good to see,” he teased. Indeed, she was truly surprised. However, the look of surprise did not remain on her face for long as she leaned forward as well, smirking.
“You really don’t want to play this game, Potter.”
“I think I do,” Harry replied with the same smirk.
Tonks stared at him for a long moment before she finally leaned back, her lips quirked.
“Looks like you got some of your godfather’s tendencies as well,” she shook her head. “Just don’t get yourself in trouble and you’re good to go.”
“I only place bets I know I’ll win,” he replied. If he was being honest with himself, he had no fucking clue what he was even saying or if it made any sense. He simply blurted out whatever came to his mind. However, it seemed fortune was in his favor as it worked.
Tonks simply shook her head. “Now, shut up. If this continues, we won’t get started on anything.”
She pulled out a moleskin pouch from the pocket of her shorts and reached inside. Harry’s eyes widened when she dumped two thick tomes on the table.
“These,” she patted the tomes, “are from the Black Library. Sirius sent them for you. You’ll find most of the spells you’ll learn in your remaining years at Hogwarts in there.”
“That’s all?” Harry asked in surprise. “I expected more, to be honest.”
“Then let me finish,” she shook her head. “There are many more spells, both offensive and defensive. They’re all hexes, jinxes, and curses though. No transfiguration. The Blacks preferred to be direct than to play around. There are auror grade spells and even those that are… not exactly dark, but frowned upon.”
“Like… what?”
“Bonebreakers, blood-boiling curse, concussion hex, you get the idea,” she replied. “I was lucky Moody taught me. He has a… broader mindset than other auror trainers, shall we say.”
“He taught you what the Ministry wanted and what they didn’t,” Harry surmised.
“On point,” she pointed a finger at him. “I’ve already leafed through those tomes and there’s nothing new to me, but you… I believe you can learn a whole lot from whatever’s in there.”
“You bet I can,” Harry muttered as he picked up one of the tomes and opened a random page. “This is quite… graphic, I should say.”
“It came from the Black Library. What did you expect?” She shrugged. “Now, as you’ve already seen, these books teach you the incantation, the wand movements, what the spell does and how it does it, how to defend against it, how to reverse or cure its effects, and various creative ways to use the curse.”
Harry nodded. “I can’t cast these spells here, but I can definitely learn everything else.”
“Exactly,” Tonks nodded. “And when you are out of here, you can start to practice spellcasting properly. It’d take time to master and start to effectively using all these spells in a fight, but you’ll manage just fine.”
Harry nodded. The tomes had spells that were most definitely dark in nature and at one time, he would’ve been skeptical of even think of using them, but his mind once again flashed back to the graveyard and his eyes hardened.
“While you do that, I’ll be drilling you with battle tactics that Moody taught me,” Tonks continued, breaking him out of his thoughts. Harry nodded and shut the tome, putting it back on the table.
For the next few hours, they talked. Tonks imparted some of her knowledge to Harry, they teased each other some more, and by the time her departure was imminent, they both felt as if they’d known each other for a long time. Harry found her a charming personality to be around, while Tonks also discovered that once you went past his suspicious exterior, Harry was a fun and witty person to be around.
“We’ll have to think of something to stop my relatives from finding out who you really are,” Harry remarked as he pushed his bedroom door open. Tonks walked out first and he followed, absently closing the door.
“I can sneak in easily,” she replied.
“Yeah, but that’s a hassle. We’ll have to keep on the lookout. It’d be better to think of something that would explain your presence in here.”
“Like what?” She asked, her brows furrowed.
Harry looked thoughtful for a long moment as he wondered what the best way to have Tonks over would be. It had to be something that would explain her presence with him throughout the day. Tonks once again coyly suggested being his fake girlfriend but Harry immediately rejected the idea. The last thing his relatives would ever want was for him to be happy or treated right. However, that gave him the perfect idea, and with a grin, Harry began to explain it to Tonks. Her eyes widened as Harry kept speaking and by the time he was done, she had an impressed look on her face.
“I didn’t know you had such a devious mind.”
“It didn’t take much effort,” Harry chuckled. “All I needed to remember was that my relatives would believe anything bad about me. Using their hatred for me like this seems like the best way to fuck with them.”
Tonks could only shake her head at that.
XXXXX
Harry had come to an agreement with his relatives that he would not be doing anything for them and they could pretend as if the other did not exist. That was the only reason why Vernon paused right before addressing him when the doorbell rang.
Petunia eyed him hatefully as she slammed her washcloth on the counter and marched out of the living room. Barely a minute later, she called for her husband.
Harry sat silently as Vernon glared at him as well on his way out. He wondered whether the walrus and the banshee would screech on their way back in.
He was pleasantly disappointed when he saw they returned silently, albeit with sneers on their faces. Both seemed to be struggling to keep themselves composed.
“Are you Mr. Harry Potter of 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?” The woman with dark hair spoke, and Harry stood up, looking confused.
“Yes…?” He replied. “What’s going on?”
“Mr. Potter, I need to inform you that a psychiatric evaluation order has been issued by the court in your case. This means, until further notice, I am required to supervise you at all times, both inside your home and when you leave it. This supervision is part of the court’s directive to ensure that you're evaluated properly and that your well-being, as well as the safety of others, is monitored closely during this time.”
Harry stared back, perplexed.
“What?”
“I understand this may feel intrusive, but this is a legal requirement, and I will be with you at all times—whether you're at home or going about your daily activities. You are not under arrest, but you are required to comply with this order until it is lifted by the court,” the woman continued.
“Wait, so you're saying you're going to be with me wherever I go?” Harry asked in shock.
“Yes, that’s correct. I'll accompany you at home and wherever else you need to go, whether it’s for work, recreation, or other daily tasks. My presence is simply to ensure that the conditions of the evaluation are being met. If you need to leave the house, we’ll make arrangements for me to go with you.”
The discussion continued for a few minutes and throughout it all, the Dursleys watched with both confusion and glee on their faces. It was when the woman said that there had been multiple complaints filed regarding his mental health over the years that their eyes widened, especially when she told them that he’d been seen swinging a wooden stick around like a magician.
Harry had to keep himself from laughing out loud throughout the drama. He had to hand it to Tonks. She was a remarkable actress, and she was pulling off this role brilliantly.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Vernon said politely, making the woman turn to him. “Does this mean you will possibly take him with you?”
The hint of hope in Vernon’s voice made Tonks sneer and she glared at him.
“No, Mr. Dursley. I am here to ensure Mr. Potter’s safety and the safety of everyone around him. This court order requires me to stay with him at all times apart from night. I shall be arriving in the morning every day and leave by ten at night. Do not worry. I shall endeavor to not inconvenience you or your family during my time in your house.”
Turning back to Harry, she continued, “Do you have any questions about the process? I am here to answer them.”
“I guess… I understand,” Harry replied. “I don’t know why this is happening though, but it’s not as if I can do anything about it. It’s a bit much but… fine. Let’s get it over with.”
Without another word, Harry strode out of the room, with Tonks following behind him at a sedate pace. She stumbled slightly at the base of the stairs where Harry was waiting for her with a grin and he quickly caught her, steadying her on her feet. They turned around and climbed up the stairs just as Vernon and Petunia emerged from the room, looking up at their retreating selves.
As Harry walked inside his room and shut the door, he turned to Tonks and grinned. She had transfigured her clothes into a proper uniform and to say that it suited her was putting it mildly.
“Quite an actress, you are,” he remarked as he sat on his bed, and Tonks joined him, nudging him playfully with her shoulder.
“Well then, that’s sorted,” she smirked.
As he looked at her, Harry could not help but chuckle. She was indeed something else.
To be continued…
Comments
TheWateringWizard
Interesting start! I saw in a comment that Daphne was part of the pairings so I’m in!!
Erinnyes
The problem with that explanation is none of the other characters know this. Think about it from the perspective of Harry and the Order. They have no idea about the Horcrux or any related risks, but Dumbledore is casting magic on *all of them*, *without their consent and against their expressed objections* to prevent them from keeping the person on whom the war seems to hinge in the dark about information he needs to know. By any metric, this is insane behavior at best and outright hostile action at worst. Dumbledore has also not done much to engender trust and has done *much* to make his judgement questionable, namely the entirety of the first four years until this point. By all appearances, Dumbledore is simply Harry's enemy, but nobody is questioning it.
Vedros
I don’t think so. It’d depend on what the person who has commissioned this fic wants.
Robert
Is this going to be similar to the story of the same name from 20 years ago? Was one of the first fanfics I read so nostalgia hitting 😂
Ryan
That's a fair set at least
Vedros
Well, this is a commissioned fic and there will be more witches joining in. Daphne, Fleur and probably Pansy, in addition to Tonks. At least that’s what I’ve been asked for until now.
yan boul
I have misery especially in the square or his most on for him must not forget that in the canon he makes him drag devent all the magegamot to defend against an attempt at murder he had no help during this time the hermione is with the rest of the order in a house under strong protection dumbledore says that his for his protection but he offers none to his parents and Harry being major in theory he has all the financial power of his family and seriously he. must. have one who discusses the questionable choices of dumbledore all the time wanting to give your enemies a second chance his who made them lose the war at the beginning
Ryan
I like it, hopefully Harry/Tonks and that's it - one more at most
Vedros
I won’t say Dumbledore is acting like his enemy, more like his usual secretive self as in canon. You have to remember the Horcrux is still in there and Dumbledore’s motivations behind keeping information away from Harry stem from the fact that he is vulnerable to Voldemort’s mental intrusions. Harry might not agree and he might be upset but a part of him still knows that Dumbledore’s intention is to protect him, which is why even though he wouldn’t need to remain in Privet Drive considering he is of age, he is staying there. More on how he can be safe there despite being of age would be explained later. Regarding Hermione, I did not delve into Harry’s thoughts right then because of the conversation that was ongoing between Harry and Tonks, and that detail would be explored more in the future, particularly when he gets to Grimmauld Place.
Erinnyes
I admit I found it tough to get into this one because of all the cognitive dissonance. Harry is of age... But still in the last place on earth he wants to be for reasons he doesn't understand or agree with. Dumbledore is acting like his enemy... But at no point does anyone (including Harry) actually consider going against him. Hermione has betrayed Harry... But Harry doesn't spend more than a moment thinking about it. I usually love your work, you're talented, creative, and usually put out awesome stories.... but this one just feels like an entire chapter of "So the story can happen".
